"I would on the S70 simply because it would probably be cheaper to operate the BMW is a great car butt I think Swedish engineering is top-notch of huge Volvo fan so I would have to go with the S70"

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1998 Volvo S70 T5 TurboReview

1998 Volvo S70VolvoS701998T5 Turbo

HBreck writes:

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145

Turbobrick —

I just acquired the car, so I'm still learning about it. However, 2 weeks in, I can say I'm impressed overall. 167000 miles, and it drives as smooth and strong as if it were new. Has a few issues, mostly involving a sensor and some minor electrical problems. When pushed about 75%, the car responds with vigor, though it feels a bit sluggish when merely cruising around town. Some of that may be due to the dynamics of a turbocharged engine, and the resulting lag that comes from turbos. The car is comfortable and well-appointed, and I look forward to taking it on a road trip this summer. I miss having a manual transmission, though the automatic in this car has performed fine thus far. I look forward to learning more about my Volvo and reporting on it in the weeks to come.
A year and half after purchase, my S70 finally blew up. Or, more accurately, it blew out seals (the rear main seal, a return line seal) while driving from Kansas City to Chicago. It took 14 extra quarts of oil to actually get between St. Louis and Chicago, but it made it. The cost of repair and the time needed forced me to sell it to a salvage yard, so the Volvo is no more as of Memorial Day 2014.
The car was smooth, fast, comfortable, and always started, no matter what. It was surprisingly competent in deep (more than a foot) snow. It also had lots of small problems, and was expensive to repair and maintain. Much front suspension work was needed in the 14 months and 17,000 miles I owned it. It also had multiple sensor failures, and went through two sets of spark plugs.
I still would recommend the car to others, provided they have the time and money to maintain it. Purchasing one with fewer than 150,000 miles might help, too.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Pros:
Good power that comes on in a surprisingly aggressive surge, comfortable seats, smooth ride, decent handling, lots of luxury options.

Cons:
Cost of parts and labor, mediocre fuel economy, resists being pushed hard, though that might currently stem from needing the atmospheric pressure sensor replaced.

I Think You Need A Flat Cap And Driving Gloves, Because You Just Became Old! —

A car suits your mood. There is nothing exciting about Volvos, and hasn't been since the late 1960's. That said, it is a good daily driver, to work where you don't want to go and to the Wal-Mart, where you don't want to go. This is from the era when Volvo thought they could get into BTCC and TOCA racing, so the ride is a bit harsher, the engine is turbocharged, and the wheels... well at least they are aluminum alloy. The main faults of the S70 are all electronic in nature. The instruments stop working daily. The ABS light comes on because the ABS pump sits against (and vibrates) the electronic control unit, which also causes the speedometer to go out. The plastics are cheap German bits, so they break and crumble to dust. The door leather is stretched so tight from the factory (to save $$$$) that it peels off and shrinks down to where it no longer fits. Finally, crap breaks behind the dash so when you go over a speed bump or a railroad crossing it sounds like someone took a sledge hammer and hit the center of dash with full force ... Ka-crack!!!! Mine is dark blue, it's a box shaped car, and nothing works right in it. My wife calls it "The Tardis" for obvious reasons.
But I like this car because a Volvo saved my family's life once.
We were involved in a head-on collision in my sister's 1985 240 DL sedan. My sister was driving, I was in the passenger seat and we had three children, all under 6 years old (at the time) in the back seat. We were hit by a 4X4 Ford 3/4 ton Pickup pulling a car trailer. The truck had lost control going over the top of a hill doing roughly 60 MPH and crossed into our lane. We ended up beaten battered and bruised but alive. There wasn't much left of the Volvo, but what was left of it saved our lives. We all would have been dead if we had taken my sister's Accord or my Celica that day. I still have a copy of the 240 DL's key on my keychain as a weird sort of good luck charm. Someday, when I review the 240 series, I will upload photos of the accident.

Primary Use: Family transportation

Pros:
Lots of goodies and it's a Volvo so it's safer than anything short of driving a giant brick.

Cons:
It's shaped somewhat like a giant brick. Cheap plastics that crack and break with age. Items that should have been recalled by the company have not been.

Clean Title —
The brakes are a little hard but overall it is a very great car. It has been good to me for 4 years it was my first car and I could not have chose a better car to drive. It is a fair price and very safe and sturdy.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Pros:
Reliable, Very Safe, and it is an amazing condition. AC/Heater is very good and the stereo is great.

Cons:
Front seats are a little messed up but all the back seats are good. It has a few bumps and scratches but it's not bad at all.

The Body Style I Like A Lot —
Very easy maintenance plenty of room to work on very simple and easy'''''''' nice and smooth ride, after you replace struts.... but for $500 with do you expect.... have not finished with it yet plan on doing a lot more to it I will keep you informed on my progress.............

Very Good —
It has 248,000 miles and still drives smooth with turbo still kicking. Needs lots of work to be done on it; willing to keep it. Needs breaks: rotors, discs, calibers, struts, shocks, rear seal, clutch. The paint is fading on the hood but from a distance, it still shines. driver speaker plays occasionally. Lots to be done, but will work on this since I love it so much

Excellent Family Car! —
This is a great family car that gets great gas mileage, is comfortable, and very reliable. My car has 155,xxx miles on it and is still going just like new. It doesn't have much power, but if you need to get around something, it can handle the task. It's not going to set any land speed records, but will get you from point A to point B very efficiently.

Primary Use: Family transportation

Pros:
very durable and reliable. Gets great gas mileage and is very, very comfortable.

Cons:
A little expensive to maintain if you have to take it to the dealer.

Volvo S70 —
even with 321 000 km my volvo is still running strong
exeptionnal assembly
i bought it 800$ and there was nothing i had to do
the car is a pleasure to drive
id travel anytime in my volvo rather than my old sentra

Awesome Car —
Awesome, awesome car. May not have the best performance, but it could get up and go when it needed to. Handling was amazing could take sharp turns like nobodies business. Unfortunatly had a lot of problems because the previous owner did not take any good care of the car at all which was a shame cause it really is a great car to own and I do plan on buying another one when I can. Loved the way the car looked from the front. Very agressive looking, but one thing I didnt like about the looks was the famous Volvo box look in the back. One thing I think that would really help with that would be to install an Evo or STi styled wing and it would look great. Had great gas milage and I pretty sure if the car was in better condition it would've lasted forever. This car for sure is a fun one to drive, and like I said earlier I for sure going to be looking to buy this again.

Turbo S70 —
The 98 turbo volvo s70 glt is the whole package. It's quick, smooth
acceleration and shifts. Stops on a dime and great for the highway. Its
built like a tank can't kill this car. Still looks great for being 13 years old
beautiful paint and leather interior. 25 mpg highway and it;s a blast to
drive fast or slow. The police don't second look at it either

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